


Birthdays in the 'Verse

by lvs2read



Category: Firefly
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Gen, Gen Work, Headcanon, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Slash, old fic is old, post-BDM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27661565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lvs2read/pseuds/lvs2read
Summary: A couple of birthday ficlets for my favorite men in the 'verse.
Relationships: Malcolm Reynolds/Simon Tam
Kudos: 6





	1. Birthday Ruminations

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter originally posted in 2006 in the livejournal community fireflyfanfic. Unbeta'd.
> 
> This one is canon compliant, with all that entails.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal ponders various birthdays throughout his life.

* * *

**Birthday Ruminations**

**September 20, 2486.** The day of his birth. He don't remember it, of course, but he remembers his mama tellin' him about it. His daddy'd been killed in a freak accident in the spring, 'fore they even knew he was on the way. So she'd been all alone throughout his growin'. Well, as alone as a woman could be on a ranch with 40-odd ranch hands. When the time came for his birthin', she'd sent one of the younger hands to town for the local doc, just in case, then retreated to her room with the cook, a woman with some considerable experience as a midwife. Durin' the height of her laborin' a storm had blown up out of the west, cuttin' power to the house while wind and rain lashed outside, thunder followin' lightnin' so fast you couldn't count the seconds in between. Time the storm blew over, he'd been born and was sucklin' at his mama's breast. She'd givin' him his first name for his daddy's patron saint, and his middle name for his daddy. Doc didn't get there 'til the next day.

**September 20, 2496.** His tenth birthday. He'd learned to ride almost as soon as he could walk. Had his own pony from the time he was three. Started takin' care of her all on his own when he was five. Still rode her daily, even though he was gettin' a mite long-legged for her. She was a real sweetheart, too. But he was growin' up. Wanted a horse. Not a pony. Wanted to ride the ranch, learn the ropes as it were. Couldn't do that with a pony, no matter how much he wished he could. Didn't say anythin' to his mama, though. As young as he was, knew times were tough and money was tight. That's why it'd been such a surprise to wake up that mornin' and be told his present was in the corral. The little filly that'd been waitin' for him was the most beautiful horse he'd ever seen. Mama and Joe had told him in no uncertain terms that he had a lot of trainin' to do before he could even think of ridin' her. He didn't care. He'd fallen in love and would do everythin' he could to see Beauty brought up proper. 

**September 20, 2506.** His twentieth birthday. Talk of war had been rumblin' 'round the ranch for months. His friends and neighbors were none too pleased about the Alliance wantin' to barge in and take over their government. Improve their way of life. Couldn't say that he disagreed with them. He'd talked it over with his mama, and she agreed. Didn't like it, but she agreed. He needed to go off and join the fight. Wouldn't be right to sit back and do nothin' while everybody else went off to war. She'd gone into her room and come back with a box in her hands. Put it in his hands and told him to open it. Inside was the finest lookin' pistol he'd ever seen. Pickin' it up, he'd discovered that it fit his hand as if made for it. He'd looked up to ask where she'd got it when she'd said, "It was your daddy's. Always meant to give it to you, just never found the right time. Guess this is it." He left the next day. Gave his mama a hug and never looked back. Was the last time he saw her.

**September 20, 2516.** His thirtieth birthday. Times were tight in the black. Honest jobs were gettin' harder and harder to come by. Not that he minded the not-so-honest jobs. 'Specially if it meant thumbin' his nose at the Alliance. But he needed those honest jobs, too, if he could get 'em. Or a way of bringin' in steady income. So decided to try rentin' out one of the shuttles. Figured, though, that the only taker had been the uppity Companion who'd been too beautiful for his own peace of mind. He'd never been able to wrap his mind around the concept that Companions weren't the same as whores. Far as he could tell, only difference was that Companions just dressed themselves up fancy and pretended sex wasn't their main purpose. Oh, well, if it meant steady income for the ship, didn't see where he had a choice. His mama might not have approved, but he'd done lots of things since the end of the war she wouldn't've condoned. Some things just couldn't be helped, and it was more important to have food in their bellies than worry about the wrath of the God-fearin' woman his mama'd been.

**September 20, 2518.** His thirty-second birthday. He looked around at his crew, or what was left of them after the Battle of Miranda, as he'd come to call it. They were all still recoverin' from their wounds, him and his ship included, but leastwise they were together. Weren't that long ago he wasn't sure he'd make it to this day. Still wasn't sure he'd make it to next year's birthday. He hoped to have many more, but you just never knew, livin' day-to-day out in the stars. Anythin' could happen. Course, he hoped whatever was to come wouldn't be as bad as what they'd just been through, but never could tell. Not with the Alliance bein' involved. Could be an all out war or it could stay the same as it'd been since the end of the last one. And if it came to war, he didn't rightly know what he'd do. Not that he'd mind givin' the Alliance another run for their money, but he'd already lost one home to the war. Wasn't sure he could bear losin' another one, if that's the way it turned out. Guess he'd have to see how things panned out, and talk it over with everybody else 'fore he did anythin'. He might be captain of the ship, but they all had a right to decide for themselves. His mama had taught him that long time ago and now might be a good time to start rememberin' that his mama had generally known what she was talkin' about.


	2. Superfluous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Simon's birthday, and he can't stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written in 2007 for the livejournal fireflyholidays "Birthdays in the 'Verse" ficathon for the prompt: Simon's second birthday on Serenity; will it be better than last year's? and posted in the livejournal community theprettyfits. Beta'd by vae.
> 
> Translation in mouse over and at the end.
> 
> This one diverges from canon, in that the BDM didn't happen.

* * *

**Superfluous**

Simon couldn't stop smiling. 

He'd hoped his second birthday on Serenity would be better than his first, but he'd never anticipated it going quite this well. Granted, anything would have been an improvement over everyone almost dying, but things were turning out better than he could have ever expected. Hoped for, maybe, but not expected.

The day had started much like any other on Serenity. No one made mention of the occasion, so he assumed they either didn't remember or didn't want to. He couldn't really blame them. He'd just as soon forget the almost dying aspect himself. He was a little disappointed when neither Kaylee nor Inara gave him the traditional greeting, though. River's convoluted, but logical, thinking could explain her omission, but the other two usually made a point to remember special occasions. 

Book had smiled quietly at him in passing, but then he always did that. Simon never knew for certain what was going on in the shepherd's mind. Wash probably blocked the whole thing from his memory, considering how close he'd come to losing Zoë last year. And as for the others, they were too practical to think about it being someone's birthday. Even if they did like celebrations, they tended to be ones that ended in brawls, not cakes and presents. Not that he wanted presents. But a cake would be nice. A real, honest-to-goodness cake with real chocolate frosting, not that fake synthesized stuff. 

With an ironic smile at his own self-pity, Simon continued his day, helping out with cargo when asked, preparing lunch for the crew - he'd gotten much better at cooking in the past year - and generally keeping busy. Just like every other day. At least he hadn't had to repair any bullet wounds, since they hadn't made planetfall anywhere. And that could be considered a present he supposed.

Now the day was winding to a close and still no one had remembered. He'd thought about mentioning it himself, but that just didn't seem right. If people cared about him they'd remember. And there he went, pitying himself again. He sounded like he was five, not twenty-five. This had to stop. Now. 

Life on Serenity may not have been what he would have imagined for himself just a few short years ago, but he wouldn't trade the camaraderie and sense of family he'd found there for all the credits he'd been earning before getting River out of Alliance hands. Sometimes, though, he missed the satisfaction to be found in closer connections. He and Kaylee had tried for a while, but they both recognized before too long that friendship was the only thing they really felt for each other. 

But there was one other person on board that he'd come to realize he had deeper feelings for. Not that the stubborn _húndàn_ would ever be aware of it, or admit it if he was. And Simon had been trying for months to make him understand. He'd done everything he could think of short of throwing him against the bulkhead and kissing him senseless. The only thing stopping him from doing just that was the thought that he might get a fist to the jaw for his troubles. Not exactly the response he was looking for. 

Sighing quietly to himself, he turned off the lights in the infirmary and went looking for River. It was getting late and he should probably see if she was going to be okay for the night. Checking her room first, he continued on into the cargo bay when she wasn't there, and that's when he started to smile.

Someone, probably Kaylee, had strung tiny lights along the catwalk. There was a table with what looked to be the cake he'd been wishing for sitting in the middle. The tinny sound of music was coming over the comm. And, best of all, everyone was raising a glass to him and shouting "Happy Birthday!" as River handed him a glass of his own and kissed his cheek. 

"Thought we'd forgotten, didn't you?" she whispered in his ear, and it was all he could do not to blush. Of course she'd known what he was thinking. He should have remembered her abilities.

Giving her a quick hug he apologized quietly. "I should have known better." Turning back to the rest of the crew, he raised his glass high and thanked them. He couldn't stop his smile from growing as Jayne insisted that they get the party started.

And party they did. The cake, real and moist and chocolaty, was devoured in no time. The drink and conversation both flowed freely. Everyone danced except Mal and Inara who stood off to the side smiling indulgently at the antics of the rest of the crew. But even seeing them like that couldn't dim Simon's smile. Not tonight. Tonight was his birthday and he wasn't going to let anything ruin it.

Simon watched with a small smile as Zoë and Wash slipped away. They'd come to him a few months earlier when they decided they wanted to try for a baby, swearing him to secrecy, which he'd informed them wasn't necessary. Doctor/patient confidentiality didn't lose its meaning just because he was no longer in the Core. Unfortunately for their plans, Wash wasn't as good at keeping secrets.

He missed Inara's leaving, but noticed she was already gone when Mal left. Whether Mal went to her, or not, he didn't know. They still tiptoed around each other all the time, just like they had since he'd come on board. It got tiresome watching them, so he'd quit. No point torturing himself any more than necessary anyway.

The next thing he knew, Kaylee and River were wishing him a good night as they wandered off, talking about Kaylee's past sexual exploits. By rights their conversation should have made him blush, but maybe he'd had just that bit too much to drink, because he wasn't bothered at all. The few whispered comments he heard as they left just made him smile and shake his head in wonder and disbelief.

Deciding that Book could handle an inebriated Jayne on his own, Simon waved at them as he left the bay and headed for his room, smiling quietly as he thought about how he'd been feeling sorry for himself just a few hours earlier. He was still smiling as he stepped into his room, closing the door without thought before turning to find Mal sitting in the room's only chair, watching him.

He had a fleeting thought that he should be surprised to find Mal in his room, but the alcohol he'd drunk gave him the confidence to keep the smile on his face, masking the confusion mixed with hope that he couldn't suppress. "Hello, Captain. Something I can do for you?"

Mal scratched the back of his neck and looked down at his feet before turning his gaze back up to Simon. "Uh…Inara said something tonight got me wondering."

Simon leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, his smile faltering just a little bit. Why did it always have to be about Inara? "Did she? What about?"

Mal scratched the side of his face, something Simon had realized a long time ago that he only did when he was nervous. "About you. And me."

Simon cocked an eyebrow at Mal, smile firmly back in place. He should have realized Inara knew of his desires. Companions were trained to read the subtlest of nuances, after all. Maybe she'd been able to get through Mal's thick skull when he hadn't. He didn't say anything, just waited for Mal to continue.

"She…uh… said you've been wanting to get in my pants for a while now. She right?"

Simon's smile turned into a grin. "I'm sure she wasn't that crude about it, but, yes, she is." He pushed away from the wall and walked closer to Mal, stopping just out of punching range. In case he was wrong about Mal's body language. "How do you feel about that, Mal?"

"I… uh… Oh, hell." Mal stood up and closed the distance between them, took Simon's face in his hands, and leaned down to kiss him.

Yes, this birthday was definitely better than last year's and Simon couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

_húndàn_ = bastard


End file.
